Talk to me about: The Gunsmith

[MarauderD]

Hello gents!  News of the Gunsmith potentially being released in CGL Plastic form has me thinking about this mech again.

The pros:  looks amazing, super fast backstabber with a decent payload of 4 medium X-pulse lasers on a 25 ton mech with Reflective Armor.

The cons:  XXL engine, crazy hot, and CRAZY expensive at 1,465 BV and a whopping 36 PV in Alpha Strike.

I love me some fast backstabbers--and will definitely be buying one and painting one.  But is it too expensive to field?   Have people fielded this against a person and felt like it was a great choice?  Thoughts?

[BrianDavion]

the XXL engine... I hate it, you could literally swap it out for ER MLs and a targeting computer for over all better range, and accuracy that's not much differant.

[Fat Guy]

Switching out the X pulse lasers for regular pulse lasers solves the heat problems. The 'Mech is fast enough to deal with the range reduction.

[Scotty]

Solving the heat problems makes the BV problems worse.  It's better served by being hot and diving every other turn than it is by being cool and costing more.

[Stormy]

I’ve used it enough in MM to thoroughly enjoy it — the speed + accuracy is something glorious and it’s not as hot as a Vulpes, say. (Low bar, more of a call before you dig, but...)

[SteelRaven]

It can out run most clan mechs and hurt anything fast enough to keep up but like all hot rods, you do pay for it.

[MarauderD]

So if we're going to alternate firing and diving:  would we get in position without MASC (run 15), Alpha for +10 on the heat scale next turn, and then use the MASC for 8/12 (16) reposition with the -2 movement penalty? 

I realize this would be situation dependent, but I can't imagine being stuck with lowish TMM, overheating, and Reflective Armor would be very good for your health.

Alternatively, you could use 3 M-XPL and only overheat 4 with no movement penalty.  But since we plan on diving to bleed heat--why just use a portion of the firepower?

Lastly--would improving to a 4 Piloting skill (1,612 BV) be worth it since falling with Reflective is pretty much death?  Or do we just accept going into the engagement that most damage = death and not spend any more BV on piloting/gunnery improvements?

[Scotty]

Situation dependent, but being able to basically guarantee the +4 on the way out or using it to break LOS with 16 MP is how I use it most commonly.

I'd avoid a pilot upgrade; DO NOT get to melee range (the X-pulses help immensely for this), and if you take 20 damage you're probably having a bad enough time that one point is piloting is not going to meaningfully change the outcome.  You're reasonably likely at that point to not have much Reflective left to break on the (maximum of) 6 whole points of damage you'll take going to the ground.

Just don't be in melee.  #1 priority.

[Arkansas Warrior]

In addition to the things that have been mentioned, it has one of the strangest names of all battlemechs.  I mean, a gunsmith is essentially a specialized type of tech, so I guess maybe it’s an homage to the people that keep mechs running?

[MarauderD]

In addition to the things that have been mentioned, it has one of the strangest names of all battlemechs.  I mean, a gunsmith is essentially a specialized type of tech, so I guess maybe it’s an homage to the people that keep mechs running?

I can't recall:  have folks been calling this the Facehugger, or is that the Vulpes?

[SteelRaven]

I can't recall:  have folks been calling this the Facehugger, or is that the Vulpes?

That's the Prey Seeker

[MoneyLovinOgre4Hire]

In addition to the things that have been mentioned, it has one of the strangest names of all battlemechs.  I mean, a gunsmith is essentially a specialized type of tech, so I guess maybe it’s an homage to the people that keep mechs running?

I thought it was a reference to the anime.

[MightyBolamite]

I don't really have a lot of combat experience, so take my opinion with a grain of salt.
But, from the little bit of play testing I've done by myself, it's an evil little Mech. I think it could make someone walk away from Battletech forever if given to the proper hands. It has its drawbacks, sure, like that bv; but all Mechs do, especially lights.

[BrianDavion]

it seems to me that when they get around to having the fedsuns finally able to make in house clantech pulse lasers the gunsmith is begging for a new varient

[mbear]

it seems to me that when they get around to having the fedsuns finally able to make in house clantech pulse lasers the gunsmith is begging for a new varient

Or one with Re-Lasers.

[17thRecon]

In addition to the things that have been mentioned, it has one of the strangest names of all battlemechs.  I mean, a gunsmith is essentially a specialized type of tech, so I guess maybe it’s an homage to the people that keep mechs running?

I can’t believe Gunsmith made it in, but my submission “The Concubine” keeps getting rejected…and it has the Re-Lasers.

Seriously do see your point, though, and off the top of my head, I can’t think of another mech that has a similar style name. It’s like naming a sports car “the mechanic”.

I’ve only looked at the Gunsmith in passing and just realized that it has x-pulse lasers; I’d thought it had the Re-lasers, figuring to combat the Hardened Armor Kurita stuff. Even odder since Re-lasers were developed in 3130 and the Gunsmith began production in 3131.

[MarauderD]

Four Medium Re-Lasers would be 10 tons:  That is too much payload on a 25 tonner to not sacrifice too much to get there.  Gunsmith already has XXL Engine, XL Gyro, and Endo Steel.  Even if you stick a small cockpit on there, you are up to 9 tons payload, and I don't think the piloting penalty is a good trade off. 

That being said--I was hoping that when the Gunsmith is released in plastic there might be a new version with Re-Lasers, but the X-pulse fit better weight wise.  If you go down to 3 Medium Re-Lasers, you'd run into the BV going UP because it doesn't have the heat issues the CH11-NG has. 

[Hazard Pay]

You could try 2x MReLs and 2xSReLs, but the latter are so bad I’d just go with ER Flamers or Tarckmp and whatever else you have the tonnage for

[jymset]

In addition to the things that have been mentioned, it has one of the strangest names of all battlemechs.  I mean, a gunsmith is essentially a specialized type of tech, so I guess maybe it’s an homage to the people that keep mechs running?

For better or worse, this is what happens when the designer doesn't supply a name after repeated requests, so that the project lead names it after him instead.

[SteelRaven]

There are only so many names for a mech. Gunslinger, Quickdraw, Shootist and Rifleman have all been taken, Gunsmith is still on brand as a Battletech Mech IMO.

“The Concubine”

... I have questions but that would be of topic

[Greatclub]

One advantage is that a lot of players don't know how to deal with hit/run artists like this, especially since the armor negates the usual counter of pulse lasers.

[Hazard Pay]

Tried a small mod to the Gunsmith, replacing MXPLs with MVSPLs, the thing is so fast it can really make use of the varying ranges allowing it to put two 9-point pokes of doom into a Rear CT. The heat generation is also much lower, but the need to get so close incentivizes you to gfto asap after shooting.

[Wrangler]

Question, does this thing do better in Alpha Strike?  Problems with especially niche machines tend to be averted when using that system than normal table top.

[Greatclub]

Question, does this thing do better in Alpha Strike?  Problems with especially niche machines tend to be averted when using that system than normal table top.

... somehow the AS gunsmith doesn't have an overheat value? Comparing it to a royal locust it looks reasonable?


There's also the Royal Fantasy "Cinderella' variant, which swaps the lasers and MASC for clan ER-MPL and a laser AMS. It's... viable in a different way? ERMPL have unique range bands and the mech has the speed to exploit them. At the same time, the lack of emergency speed and inconsistent spikes from the AMS could easily get you killed.